Structural, Vibrational, and Gasochromic Properties of Porous WO₃ Films Templated with a Sol-Gel Organic–Inorganic Hybrid

Summary.

 The structure and the gasochromic properties of sol-gel-derived WO₃ films with a monoclinic structure (m-WO₃) were studied by focusing attention on the size of the monoclinic grains. The size of the m-WO₃ grains is modified by the addition of an organic–inorganic hybrid to the initial peroxopolytungstic acid (W-PTA) sols which are based on chemically bonded poly-(propylene glycol) to triethoxysilane end-capping groups (ICS-PPG). The results obtained with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show that the heat treatment (500°C) of WO₃/ICS-PPG (0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mol%) composite films results in a change of their morphology, and nanodimensional pores are formed between the grains. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) analysis revealed the presence of an amorphous phase on the outside of the m-WO₃ grains, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDXS) showed that this amorphous phase contained W and Si. Impregnation of the WO₃/ICS-PPG film with H₂PtCl₆/i-propanol solution followed by heat treatment at 380°C gave the films their gasochromic properties.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies of the WO₃/ICS-PPG film confirmed the results of the corresponding HRTEM and EDXS analysis. In situ UV/Vis and in situ IR spectra of the films were measured in hydrogen and in air, and colouring/bleaching changes and the corresponding kinetics were assessed. The IR spectra of gasochromically coloured films showed that the mesoporous WO₃/ICS-PPG (1 mol%) film transforms to tetragonal H _x WO₃ bronze. The IR spectra of the H _x WO₃ bronze are discussed with the aim to establish the existence of the metal-OH vibrations of gasochromically formed oxyhydroxide tungsten bronze.